Broadly speaking, a computer network consists of a collection of network devices, including network end-points or nodes devices such as personal computers and servers, for example, which are linked via an interconnect structure consisting of any number of network infrastructure devices such as, for example, routers, switches, hubs, and wireless access points. Initially, network devices are not configured to meet any specific requirements or purpose prior to being installed into a particular computer network. Configuration is a process of setting or selecting the operating or configuration parameters of network devices, such as network operating protocols and security keys, for example, so that the network device is able to properly connect to, operate on or provide connectivity within the network. Because of the wide variety of network devices, as well as the variety of networks which may be connected to form internetworks, the configuration process can be a difficult task requiring detailed knowledge of the various networks and, the protocols used to link the various networks, and the multitude of network devices installed thereon, and often one of the most daunting facing network administrators.
Even after initial configuration is complete, network administrators responsible for managing large networks, such as in a campus setting, for example, frequently have to add or replace network devices that attach to the network, either as end-point devices or network infrastructure devices that form part of the network infrastructure itself. Such additional network devices and replacement devices are typically configured to provide services tailored to their specific locations on the network (e.g. an engineering building on a campus), with replacement devices typically configured to operate exactly the same as the failed devices they replace. In either case, individually configuring such devices is resource intensive and prone to human error, particularly with regard to large scale deployments, such as outfitting a network in a new building, which might require that hundreds of devices be configured.
In attempts to simplify the configuration process, network configuration management tools have been developed for configuring network devices remotely coupled to a network. Such configuration management tools typically manage device configurations based on individual device serial numbers or network MAC (Media Access Control) addresses and not based on a location of the device relative to the network, such as a point of connection to the network. As a result, conventional configuration management tools configure network devices, be they added devices or replacement devices, with only generic or default configurations since the replacement device is identified via its MAC address or serial number, which while indicative of the type of device, is not indicative of its location on the network.
For these and other reasons, a need exists for the present invention.